Revolution: Is the NBC TV Show Worth Watching?

by Trevor Kimball, September 17, 2012

The networks have struck out with numerous “mystery” TV shows like FlashForward, The Event, Missing, The River, and Alcatraz. Would Lost have been a success if viewers knew up front what kind of show it was to become? Seems doubtful. Still, NBC is trying a new one with Revolution. Will this series be a ratings success or will it be cancelled by the end of the season like so many others?

On Revolution, we find that all power has ceased to exist on Earth. That means that car engines, planes, radios, computers, and even televisions (!) are left inoperable. Flash forward 15 years later and we find that society has changed in many ways. It seems that members of the Matheson family may have clues to what happened and how the problem might be able to be resolved. Not surprisingly, not everyone wants the latter to happen.

NY Daily News: “Just by the law of averages, some show about life after a near-terminal apocalypse is bound to catch on, and NBC’s new Revolution isn’t the worst candidate. That sounds like faint praise, but there are several things to like in a story that picks up 15 years after a worldwide power failure.”

LA Times: “But as a professionally discerning adult, I could not help but notice that the characters are fairly stock, the situations familiar and, some nifty digital backgrounds notwithstanding, the production continually felt more like an elaborate game of let’s pretend than it did a window into some real other world. I didn’t buy a second of it. Still, I will stick around for a few more episodes at least, hoping the show lets its hair down a little — it is serious about a situation rife with opportunities for humor. Possibly, it will find the time to think more about the ordinary culture of the post-apocalypse.”

USA Today: “The less you think about Revolution (NBC, Monday, 10 ET/PT * * 1/2 out of four) the more apt you are to like it. That may not be a big problem tonight, when what you’ll most likely focus on is the apocalyptic premise that makes this fast-paced NBC adventure one of the year’s better first hours. Unfortunately, once that hour passes, you may find yourself asking whether the world it constructs makes much sense — and whether the questions it raises will ever be answered.”

Kansas City Star: “Have your popcorn ready Monday when Revolution begins, and be grateful your microwave still works… It’s going up against Castle and Hawaii 5-0, but NBC has reason to be confident: Revolution mixes a terrific cast, breathtaking visuals, sharp action sequences and brave twists into a low-tech Mad Max where cars don’t work anymore.”

TIME: “It’s all far from terrible, but there are few gasps, goosebumps or laugh-out-loud moments — the sort of things that convert wanting to like an ambitious show into actually liking it for itself. Revolution has promise. It has crossbows and swordplay. It has a lot of room for world-building and stories that could sustain for seasons. What it still needs is that magic that makes you thrill and care about characters whom you feel you know as distinctive people. For lack of a better word, I’ll call that: electricity.”

Hollywood Reporter: “Look, we’re all going to have to just go with it. The pilot is a winner, and it will pull you back the following week. The question is whether the story not told in the pilot will be the story that keeps viewers around or sends them away.”

Chicago Sun Times: “The hourlong pilot had a strong start and finish. It was the stuff in the middle that gave me pause. But before I pull the plug, I’m willing to hang in there for a few more episodes to see where this Revolution is headed.”

So, what do you think? Have you watched NBC’s Revolution TV series? Will you watch again? What did you like or dislike about it?

Aren’t you tired of watching the same old thing , on at the same old time? I liked Revolution because it wasn’t the same old, I think he did it, but it kept you thinking, as watch is next.I am tired of watching all crime dramas, lawyers{who find a way out}, and American Idol. I will not watch another mini series on NBC, and be left hanging in the middle of the season.

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January 19, 2013 10:15 pm

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Carol

Absolutely loved it and really wanted to see more. I’m praying that the powers that be bring this back. The characters were amazing and the story lines never ceased to amaze and surprise. Which is so rare these days.

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January 16, 2013 11:45 am

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Zumi Cvinchzca

Miles Matheson is best Matheson.

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October 30, 2012 7:51 pm

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Merlin Marshall

The best part of this series was the very beginning, before the opening credits, when we see the lights go out. After that, the focus on the teenagers got really annoying. By the second episode, I was really hoping the whining teenage girl would get killed off, put her out of my misery. She is a complete idiot. I like the uncle and the Google guy, but expect them to be toast before the season is done. Not sure I can hold out against teen angst long enough to get involved in the mystery.